Acer Still Underwhelmed by Windows RT Tablet Market

Acer still isn’t convinced that building a tablet based on Microsoft’s new Windows RT operating system is a worthwhile effort.

Acer had planned to debut an RT tablet in the first quarter of 2013. But the company decided against it when Microsoft announced the Surface RT. “Originally we had a very aggressive plan to come out very early next year,” Acer President Jim Wong said of the company’s RT tablet last October. “But because of Surface … we are much more cautious. Originally our plan was Q1, but now I don’t think it will be earlier than Q2.”

Evidently, the ensuing months haven’t done much to convince Acer to bring a Windows RT tablet to market, because the company hasn’t launched one yet, and it continues to be cagey about its plans for doing so.

Speaking at a company event last Friday, Wong said Acer has decided against releasing a tablet running the current version of Windows RT, though it may build one for the next generation of the OS.

“The plan for an RT tablet is ongoing,” Wong said. “To be honest, there’s no value doing the current version of RT.”

Harsh words. But then, Windows RT tablet sales haven’t been all that hot. Certainly Acer isn’t missing out on much by taking a wait-and-see approach to the RT tablet market.

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